Uttar Pradesh police may increase the reward to anyone who can provide information about Muneer, the absconding prime accused in NIA official Tanzeel Ahmed’s murder case, from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh or 2 lakh, sources said on Monday.

Ahmed, who was probing terror cases related to Indian Mujahideen, was shot dead on April 3 when he was returning home with his 40-year-old wife Farzana, teenaged daughter Jumnish, and son Sahbagh from a wedding near Bijnor. (HT Photo)

Uttar Pradesh police may increase the reward to anyone who can provide information about Muneer, the absconding prime accused in NIA official Tanzeel Ahmed’s murder case, from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh or 2 lakh, sources said on Monday.

Ahmed, who was probing terror cases related to Indian Mujahideen, was shot dead on April 3 when he was returning home with his 40-year-old wife Farzana, teenaged daughter Zimnish, and son Shahbaz from a wedding near Bijnor.

His wife received bullets injuries in her stomach and legs and is undergoing treatment at a Noida hospital. The children escaped unharmed by hiding behind the seats.

The decision was taken at a meeting presided by director general of police Javeed Ahmad in Lucknow on Sunday, senior officials said. They said a proposal is being drafted in this regard and it will be sent to the government on Monday or Tuesday.

According to sources, the decision to increase the reward money was taken because ‘it may help getting Muneer’. Sources privy to the investigation said Muneer could be hiding in Aligarh or could have slipped into Nepal from Gorakhpur. Investigators have tracked his location in the region.

Ahmed had western Uttar Pradesh in his area of operation and where he met with considerable success in anti-terror operations.

Police have interrogated over 100 people following raids at several places but no arrests have been made so far in the case.

Rehan, who was driving the motorcycle that intercepted Ahmed’s car from after which Munir began the indiscriminate firing, has told interrogators that the NIA official was sprayed with 24 bullets to make it look like the handiwork of terrorists.

Rehan, who is being interrogated for the three or four days, is one of Muneer’s gang members and a relative of Ahmed. The UP anti-terror squad and special task force (STF) have been conducting raids at places Rehan named during his interrogation.

Muneer, a commerce student at Aligarh, had shot into limelight following the murder of Alamgeer in November 2015 in Aligarh. Alamgeer was studying social work when he was shot near the chemistry department of Aligarh Muslim University. His father Jehangir had named four people, including Muneer, in his complaint filed with Aligarh Police.

Muneer is also suspected to be involved in some other high profile murders and robberies.